Red Like Roses
by Alic3Paig3
Summary: Just for once he didn't want to pretend like everything was okay. One day he was going to break it was inevitable the only question was would there be anyone to help him pick up the pieces?


For nearly a week Chat Noir has been on top of the Eiffel tower every night trying to out run his past. It was nearing the time when his mother disappeared. He went to school and lessons, but none of it could help him escape the over baring thoughts. It was a constant nagging at his brain.

What little time he could escape such depressing thoughts was either his time with Ladybug or his friends, Alya, Nino, and Marinette. Both Marinette and Ladybug were constantly worrying about him. Sometimes he found it hard to separate them in his mind. They always reminded him that if he needed to talk they would be there, but he wasn't ready. Not ready to face the emotions the next day would bring. Not ready to watch as his father acted like nothing was amiss.

"Hey Chat." Ladybug stood next to him ready to leave if he felt like he needed to be alone.

"Hello M'lady," He responded in his normal greeting though not as happy or excited as he normally was. It was a process; every year he tried to piece together what happened on the day she disappeared but now it all seemed so far away. It was as if there was some grand clue he was missing that would just lead him directly to his mother, or at least that would give him answers.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug fidgeted, knowing the answer would be the same as the last time she asked. She'd tried over and over to get him to open up but she knew it was pointless to pry.

Adrien didn't reply. He couldn't lie to her but he didn't want to admit that he was struggling. It wasn't like him to dwell on the bad side of things. He was always trying to maintain the image of perfection. Like nothing could break him. He had perfected his model smile for a reason, to evade all the questioning glances as people tried to pry answers from him about his mother's disappearance. On the outside, he faced the world with a smile but in his mind, he was just as confused as everyone else.

Ladybug took the opportunity to sit next to her partner. She didn't talk and just sat with him in a comforting silence. Both overlooking the brilliant city before them.

His eyes didn't focus on any particular building or place as his mind conjured the memories of his past. There was happiness in those memories but they were tainted with confusion and anger as well. Was he the reason she disappeared? Did she even care that he was struggling?

That was all it took to break the dam, "How could she do this to me?! Here I am stuck now trying to figure everything out alone! She promised she'd always be there for me and she's not!"

Besides him Ladybug jumped but didn't shy away from the outburst. Hesitating she asked, "Who Chat?"

He paused for a moment and breathed trying to keep the tears from falling, "My mother. She disappeared. Not long before we became Ladybug and Chat Noir; she was just gone. My father is… unavailable. He's so cold and acts like her disappearance never happened. He can't understand what I'm going through."

Adrien was angry; at his father for never loving him the way he needed. At his mother for just leaving without a trace. And at himself because as much as he wanted to embody perfection he was as broken as a shattered mirror.

Ladybug put her hand on his shoulder, "I can't…" she paused to take a deep breath, "What I mean is… I haven't lost anyone so I can't understand, but you aren't alone. I'll always be here for you, and your friends will be too." She didn't know exactly who his friends were but she couldn't imagine Chat not being surrounded by people who really cared about him.

Chat froze at her words, and finally let the tears flow. He was never looking for someone to understand the pain he was experiencing or head a search to find her. All he'd wanted was to be reminded that he wasn't as alone as he'd always thought. That just because his father acted as if it never happened that he could still break down. That he could still feel the sting of his mother's absence and not feel like it was something he just needed to forget.

"Ladybug… eventually, can we tell each other about our civilian lives? I want to know the you that's behind the mask too."

Ladybug drew the lonely kitty into her arms and nodded, "One day we will, no matter who we are behind these masks, I'll always be there for you kitty. I won't ever willingly leave your side." She rubbed circles on his back and tried her hardest to keep her own tears at bay.

Her kitten, her partner, was hurting so badly and she couldn't do much more than comfort him when he needed it. It stung how useless she was but it was the best she could offer him as both sides of herself.

Chat reviled in the attention; it'd be so long since he'd had someone he could confide in. Someone who didn't see the perfection of his civilian self, and was just seeing him for him. Ladybug never saw Adrien Agreste model, and star. She just saw the pun loving, teen that loved his freedom.

For now, it was enough for both to know that they had each other. One day they'd reveal their identities and their relationship would only blossom from there but for now this was enough. It was enough for them to seek comfort at the top of the Eiffel tower between each other.

* * *

This was inspired by the song Red Like Roses Part 2 from the RWBY Soundtrack.

"I couldn't take it, couldn't stand another minute

Couldn't bear another day without you in it

All of the joy that I had known for my life

Was stripped away from me the minute that you died

To have you in my life was all I ever wanted

But now without you I'm a soul forever haunted

Can't help but feel that I had taken you for granted

No way in hell that I can ever comprehend this

I wasn't dreaming when they told me you were gone

I was wide awake and feeling that they had to be wrong

How could you leave me when you swore that you would stay?

Now I'm trapped inside a nightmare every single f'ing day

It's like a movie, but there's not a happy ending

Every scene fades black, and there's no pretending

This little fairy tale doesn't seem to end well

There's no knight in shining armor who will wake me from the spell"

I think its really important to note that Adrien is still a kid just as Marinette is. Adrien's mother is no where to be found and we can only speculate on how he has a young teen is even beginning to handle that. So this fic was written because I really liked the way Red Like Roses Part 2 but Ruby's thoughts on her mom into words. Adrien and Ruby would be roughly the same age I believe so I figured Adrien would probably feel a lot of this if not more because at least Ruby knows that her mother is gone.

TLDR; Adrien is a kitten who needs a lot of hugs and the song give you the feels.

watch?v=euuxPokAeIA


End file.
